Wednesday Whispers

Time for a game of Spot the Differences. Whoever can name the most wins ... my undying devotion.

Again, sorry for the lack of writing about these parts over the last few days. I have had two outlines due for research papers and the actual first draft of my 25 page senior thesis, so I haven't had a lot of time. Luckily, all those are done by the end of today, and the next few days should have some posts up. On that note, this is the 400th post so far, and I'm fairly proud of myself. Not too proud, but enough to make me smile. Anyway, on to today's links.

- Big Papi wants the Sox to add some more pop this winter. Maybe, if he just gets healthy, they don't need to spend exorbitant amounts of money on Teixeira. Just sayin'.

- Orioles change wardrobe, not that losing feeling.

- Greg Zaun was not happy with his time in Toronto. .237/.340/.359 doesn't exactly scream starting catcher, though, but I guess there are worse options.

- Zach Greinke won't sign a long-term deal for right now. I don't blame him. Who else wants to stay in Kansas City?

- Alexei Ramirez is just fine with his move to short. Hidden within the article is the fact that Bobby Jenks used to be in the Angels' organization. Can you imagine that bullpen?

- A woman knits a baby hat a night while watching the Tigers. It's better than biting her finger nails or trying cocaine as a nervous habit.

- Pat Neshek needs surgery. One of the most underrated bullpen arms just became more forgettable.

- Eric Chavez loves the Matt Holliday trade. You wanna know what would be more awesome? A full year of Eric Chavez!

- Joey Cora seems to think he already has the manager's job sewn up in Seattle. Maybe "we" should have a talk.

- Tyler Flowers is one of the most underrated prospects playing in the AFL. Will McCann have to move to make room?

- With all the infielders in Florida, who's next to be shipped off? My guess is Jorge Cantu. Sell high men!

- Evan Longoria and Geovany Soto won the Rookie of the Year Awards if you hadn't heard. Even if you hadn't heard, you should have just assumed.

- Salomon Torres retired out of nowhere, and now, the Brewers have to find a closer out of nowhere. Let's spend $10M on Eric Gagne!

- The Reds are interested in Will Taveras. Didn't they learn their lesson about low-OBP CF? Are you down with OBP? Apparently not. In another story, Dayton Moore salivates over the chance to get Taveras for a top pitching prospect ... just kidding Ron ... calm down buddy ... does anyone have a paper bag?

- Tim Lincecum won the NL Cy Young Award. No problem here even though Santana would have been a nice choice, too, but I heard through the grapevine that Edinson Volquez didn't get any votes because the BBWAA forgot he was a pitcher.

- LAD's offer to Manny will end Thursday. Manny walks away and gives them a dreadlock as a parting gift.

- The Padres want to switch Tyler Flowers for Gorkys Hernandez in the Peavy trade. No! NO! NNNOOOO!!! If they want him, they can have Flowers, Hernandez, and Morton but no Escobar. Stupid Padres pissing me off.

- Olney says it's interesting the Dodgers gave Manny an option after what happened in Boston. Uh, Buster, Boras gets paid this time. Huge difference. You're slipping man. Come on.

Holliday Traded to the A's

Update (6:58 PM): As if Street is burning a hole in their pocket, the Rockies are already thinking of trading him. It's probably for the best.

Well, you can't say Billy Beane isn't bold, but you can say Holliday is bald.

As I wait for the Peavy deal to come to some sort of conclusion, the A's came in and swept the Rockies away to get Matt Holliday. The deal is rumored to be Carlos Gonzalez, Greg Smith, and Huston Street for Holliday. If that's true, and it's probably a little too late for it not to be, the Rockies got quite a bit for Holliday. Gonzalez is a talented young outfielder who the Rockies can move into left or into center if they choose to move Ian Stewart to left instead. Greg Smith is a good young starting pitcher the Rockies can put behind Jeff Francis, Aaron Cook, and Ubaldo Jimenez. Street is a very good, young reliever the Rockies can team with Manny Corpas. The key word in all of these sentences is "young", and each are under control for at least two years (Smith and Gonzalez are under control for at least five, I believe). Here's a more detailed breakdown.

Matt Holliday
Holliday will be 29 next season, and he has one year left on his contract. Depending on how he does, the A's have some flexibility in their payroll to extend him, granted not before he hits free-agency of course. This past season, Holliday hit .321/.409/.538. His BB% took a big step up from 9 to 12.1, and his K% stayed right around 19. His BABIP was a high .356, and that will probably come down a bit in Oakland (his BABIP for home/road were nearly identical for this season, oddly enough). Due to quite a few more steals (28 from 11), his RC/9 actually stayed at 9.08 (actually slightly up from 9.03), but you wonder if Oakland would let him steal that much (he was 28/30). If he doesn't keep up this amount of steals, he likely won't be as valuable considering his home runs will likely take a dip (but maybe his doubles will go up?). Defensively, he's not very good, but he's used to playing in a big ballpark. Also remember, the A's can DH if they want, but they do have Jack Cust (not a good idea for the outfield). All told, Holliday is an above-average left-fielder, but he may not be an All-Star any longer.

Carlos Gonzalez
His first season didn't go quite as well, but a trip to hitter-friendly Coors and more experience could possibly turn Gonzalez into a near-Matt Holliday. He only hit .241/.273/.361, so he could stand to be a bit more patient at the plate. His BB& of 4.1 is pretty abysmal, and his K% of 26.4 doesn't help. However, it was his first season, so we'll get to see a bit more coming up. His BABIP was .318, so don't expect a huge dropoff in average (if anything, it should go up considering where he's going). Defensively, he should be an upgrade over Holliday. All told, the Rockies got a pretty good young outfielder (23 next season) who could plausibly turn out to be an All-Star with a little help from Coors. He won't be there next season, but by season 3 or 4, you might want to look out.

Greg Smith
The soon-to-be 25 year old pitched well in Oakland, but things get tougher for him now. He was 7-16 with a 4.16 ERA in 190 IP this past season with a K/9 of 5.25 (not very good) and a BB/9 of 4.11 (not good at all). His GB/FB was .75, so again, the move to Colorado could be rough. Want some more bad news? His BABIP was .258 (should go up, way up), and his HR/FB was 7.9% (again, should go up). As much as Gonzalez will benefit from going to Colorado, Smith will hate it. His FIP was already 4.82, and I don't expect next year's ERA to be any lower. He doesn't strike people out, he walks a lot of people, and he got lucky this season. The A's sold high on this one.

Huston Street
The 25 year old (for most of next season) went 7-5 with a 3.73 ERA and 18 saves in 25 chances in exactly 70 IP. He wasn't real unlucky with a FIP of 3.47. His K/9 was a solid 8.87, but his BB/9 was up for him at 3.47 (career 2.61). His GB/FB was low at .87, so he may not like Coors a whole lot more, either. His BABIP was .288 (normal) and his LOB% was 73.5% (normal). Street, his ERA, and the Rockies could be in for a big shock next summer. Street is a good reliever, but Colorado is not the place to go for pitchers. He may wish he was traded to the Mets instead.

Overall, this is a fairly even trade, if you can believe it. I don't think either pitcher will fair well in Colorado, and as unsure as everyone is about Holliday, can you be more sure about Gonzalez? Still, the Rockies received young, cheap talent that may still be improving. I could see this being a big win for the Rockies than a big win for the A's, but it may very well just work out well for each. You never really know, especially because of injuries, etc., but for now, this seems like a fair trade. The Rockies get a young starter, closer, and outfielder, and the A's get a little bop.

P.S. Sorry, no links today or tomorrow as school is making my life hell.

Quick Thought

All three think Manny will be back, but all we know is that Manny will be Manny.

There has been an awful lot of bad press aimed towards Doug Melvin and Ned Coletti over the past week for making offers to their star players, CC Sabathia and Manny Ramirez. People don't seem to think they are making serious bids for them, and they are just trying to pacify their fan base. That's all perfectly reasonable and plausible, but isn't it just as plausible that they are in fact making serious bids? Don't you have to have a starting point? It's not as if either player was going to sign before the free-agent market started. I thought there was always a starting point. The team is obviously trying to bid low, while the player bids high, and then, they gradually meet somewhere in the middle. As for Manny (has Manny reached the same status as Madonna where he doesn't need a last name), Coletti shouldn't offer him a five-year deal. Besides being a dumb idea, no one is even sure anyone will give him four years. As for CC, five years and $100M is a lot for a pitcher. Yes, the Yankees will offer more, but it's not like the Brewers can't put in another bid. Again, it's perfectly reasonable to think these are just superficial offers, but I'm a little surprised the GM's are being bashed for using fundamental haggling skills. Then again, I'm not all that surprised.

Sonnanstine or Jackson

He's better than people think he is.

The Mets are in need of starting pitching, and they have reportedly targeted the Rays' surplus of young pitching, namely Edwin Jackson and Andy Sonnanstine. If you were GM Omar Minaya, who would you choose? Based solely on talent, Jackson is the clear winner, but you don't work in a vacuum. Sonnanstine is cheaper and will cost fewer prospects. Is Jackson that much better?

Edwin Jackson
He's 25 years old, and has three arbitration years ahead of him. This past season, he was 14-11 with a 4.42 ERA in 183.1 IP. He gave up 199 hits in those innings while striking out 108 and walking 77. His K/9 was 5.30 (down from 7.16), and his BB/9 was 3.78 (down from 4.92). His BABIP was .301, so he wasn't lucky or unlucky. His LOB% was 76.1, which isn't bad, and his HR/FB was 9.6%, which is pretty normal as well. All told, his ERA was pretty in line with his performance and what it could project to be. As for what type of pitcher he is, his GB/FB was .98, but we don't know what the new ballpark will be like. What makes Jackson more interesting is his potential. People see him as a potential ace. If you believe that, you might want to consider adding him now while his price isn't astronomical. However, his FIP only dropped a whole .02 from last year. He may just be a less-frustrating version of Daniel Cabrera.

Andy Sonnanstine
Sonnanstine is 6 months older than Jackson, so he's not too much older. He also is under control for four years, instead of Jackson's three. This past season, he was 13-9 with a 4.38 ERA in 193.1 IP. He gave up 212 hits while striking out 124 and walking only 37. His BABIP was .312 was a little unlucky, and his LOB% was only 66.3% was even more unlucky. All this led to his FIP being actually 3.91, which a whole run better than Jackson, and that's a decent improvement from last year's 4.26. But, it could just be variation, or it could be improvement. His K/9 was 5.77 (down from 6.68) and his BB/9 was 1.72 (almost identical to last year's 1.79), making him extremely accurate. As for groundballs, his GB/FB was only 1.03, so he isn't more of a groundball-pitcher than Jackson. What about home runs? His HR/FB was 8%, so he was a little lucky here. He's probably a 4 ERA pitcher, but he seems more consistent. Jackson could be an ace someday, but it's just as likely to stay where he is: a mid to high-4 ERA pitcher. Sonnanstine may not be an ace, but the Mets don't need an ace or number 2 guy.

So who do you take? Personally, Jackson seems to get a lot of credit where it's not really due. Apparently, Maddon believed the same thing and started Sonnanstine in the playoffs. I can't really blame Jackson, though, as the Dodgers are the ones who rushed his development. He could take a giant step forward next season, but do you want to bet on it? I'll take Sonnanstine.
But then again, can they get both?

Sunday Spiels

People in San Francisco would bend over backward to see Lincecum win the Cy Young.

Well, this should be an interesting three or four days for me, but I should still be able to get some posts up here. In the meantime, peruse a few links.

- Nomar Garciaparra isn't very good these days, but the Red Sox still can't replace him.

- Jarrod Saltalamacchia likes the idea of going to the Red Sox. Apart from the fact that he should probably keep his mouth shut until it happens, I thought it was interesting that people keep saying Varitek's defense is amazing. I'll give him pitch-calling, but if he's so good defensively, why do they need a special catcher for Wakefield?

- Pat Gillick will not be returning to the Blue Jays. I think I'd rather stay in Philly, too.

- Mike Jacobs isn't looking to take a walk. Really?

- Junichi Tazawa is now being targeted by the Tigers. I'm surprised it took so long.

- Here are some righty bats the Twins are looking for. Where is Adrian Beltre?

- Dave Cameron at USS Mariner is up for a $10,000 blogging scholarship to UNC-Greensboro. Where do I sign up? Here is the link to vote for him. I don't read him on USS Mariner, but I enjoy his insights on FanGraphs. Looking at the tally so far, I think he'll be $10K richer soon.

- Tim Cowlishaw continues to be one of the dumbest people I've heard of. Now, he wants the Rangers to go after Manny. Um, the Rangers don't need offense. They need pitching.

- The Phillies are resisting the urge to jump for left-fielders. I agree with Amaro, they need more pitching not more offense.

- As if we really needed to know, signing free-agent pitchers is risky business. I'd like to see a study where they compare the success of home-grown vs. free-agent pitchers. I realize the free-agents make a heckuva lot more money, but something tells me that they are more effective than trying to find options from within.

- We now have baseball metaphors for the economy: Economy Throws MLB a Curve, But Selig Thinks the MLB Can Hit it.

- Bob Smizik takes a shot at the neutral-siters. Good.

- Let's all complain about how much pro sports athletes make so much money, but let's not stop going to games, watching them on TV, buying merchandise, ...

- Tim Lincecum will try to be the second Giant to win the Cy Young on Tuesday. Gaylord Perry nor Juan Marichal won one? Wow.

- Someone else thinks the Manny offer wasn't legitimately heart-felt. Let's also remember that it was the first offer and offers usually increase the longer time goes on. Why should he have offered a six-year contract if no one else will go over three?

- Willie Randolph is the Brewers' assistant coach now, but he's still looking ...

Morrison = Pujols

Coming to a ballpark near you. Granted, he'll only be a Marlin for three of those years, but still ...

Chuck Johnson over at Dugout Central made an interesting observation in that the Jacobs trade opened the door for Logan Morrison at first for next season. At first, I thought, "You're nuts. Gaby Sanchez is the heir-apparent," but after looking at what he said, I didn't think he was so crazy. Still, I doubt the Marlins would just hand over the job to a guy who's only played in A-ball when they have a guy who smashed the ball at AA. Ultimately, however, Morrison is 4 years younger and only one step behind, so he's probably the long-term solution. Yet, Sanchez did hit .314/.404/.513 this past season, so I think he'll get the first crack at the job. Anyway, how much does Morrison really compare to Albert Pujols, to whom Johnson compares Morrison's potential rise.

Age
Albert Pujols was 20 when he played 109 games at low-A ball, 21 at high-A, and 3 at AAA. Logan Morrison was 20 this past season, a season he played completely in high-A. Those three games in AAA seem like an advantage for Pujols, but it really seems like Morrison was further developed here.

Stats
Pujols hit a combined .314/.373/.543 in his age 20 season, but he only hit .284/.341/.481 in high-A. Morrison hit .332/.402/.494 this past season at high-A, which again gives the edge to Morrison although Pujols's overall SLG is much better. As an interesting note, Morrison hit 11 fewer HR (24 to 13) this season but hit 16 more doubles (22 to 38).

Defense
Pujols is probably more versatile. He was a third baseman, left fielder, and first baseman, and he is now a Gold Glover at first (although evidently the writers/managers don't agree). Morrison is pretty much locked in at first and, apparently, doesn't have much range. If he moves quickly, there might be an interesting situation with Sanchez, but Sanchez did play half of his games at third this past season (albeit badly). Could Morrison play a corner outfield spot (he's a lefty) because he did the other day?

Batting Eye
One of the things that makes Pujols so good is his eye at the plate. He walks a lot and doesn't strike out. That season, he walked 46 times while striking out 47 times. Morrison, by contrast, walked 57 times (better) and struck out 80 times (much worse). Pujols wins here, but you have to like that Morrison didn't strike out 100 times like most other big-time power prospects.

As you can see, Johnson's comparison has plenty of merit, and if you really want to look at it, Morrison did better than Sanchez in high-A (.279/.369/.433). Therefore, Morrison could be a better option at first next season, but I don't really see it happening. Interestingly enough, Jason Grey wrote a blog post over at ESPN.com about Morrison's great play in the AFL. Maybe Morrison has a better shot than I thought.

Waiting

Yes, that's me.

I can't help but keep looking at Ken Rosenthal's articles, at ESPN.com, at MLB.com, and at MLBTR because I want to know so badly. Where will Peavy land? So far, we've heard the Braves, the Cubs, and the Dodgers, not to mention the Yankees or the Angels. This all started October 17th, but it feels like it's been months. I keep getting up in the morning wondering whether or not he's been traded. I would love to see that the Braves got him, but more importantly, I just want to know. It's similar to liking a girl. You can dream all you want about being with her, but the idea will kill you until you do something about it. Maybe she says no, but at that point, at least you know. It's the not knowing that kills me.

The problem is that I can't trust the "journalists". There have been so many reports back and forth, declaring someone in the lead in this horse race. Each seems to make sense, and they all have their "sources". The thing is that none of them have really materialized. Then, Towers, for whatever reason, says that there are three teams left in the bidding. Now, I think a deal is close either way. You just don't limit the number of teams unless the remaining teams have given acceptable proposals, so Towers saying it's down to three makes me think something will happen in the next few days. But will it? I don't know.

I feel like this whole situation is totally irrational. Literally, everything about it is ridiculous. First, the Padres want to trade their ace pitcher, who is 27 and under control for at least the next four years and at a below-market price. Second, Towers has been so open about it. The five teams on the no-trade list that were acceptable were announced the day after the Padres announced they were trading Peavy. Why would you tell people that? I realize he would refuse to go to Seattle, but you can't let the actually interested teams know that. Third, there have been so many different proposals that I can't keep them straight. Everyone just keeps speculating on what the proposals are without actually knowing anything. Fourth, my mood for the past two weeks has almost exclusively been predicated on what the newest rumor is. If the Braves are in the lead, I'm excited. If they aren't, I'm worried. In the grand scheme of things, how does it matter? It doesn't, but that doesn't keep me from getting on the internet every hour to look at like 8 different sites to see what they're saying now. I look at Dave O'Brien's blog to see if he has anything new ... Nope, not since this morning. I literally stayed up until 2 o'clock the other morning after looking up more rumors for about two hours straight. I don't know why. Again, this whole thing is completely irrational.

It's not as if the Braves can't find other pitchers. Ryan Dempster, AJ Burnett, Ben Sheets, Jon Garland, and/or Javier Vazquez may very well end up in Atlanta. There's just something about Peavy, though. He just seems like the perfect guy. But do you give up Tommy Hanson, who most now consider one of the top two or three pitching prospects in the league? Do you give up Jason Heyward, who could turn a Jay Bruce or Justin Upton next year? Do you give up Freddy Freeman, who actually had better stats than Heyward while both are the same age? Do you give up Tyler Flowers, who is evidently just mashing the ball in the AFL and led Keith Law to wonder why more teams haven't tried to talk to Atlanta about him? Do you trade any of the young lefties -- Scott Diamond, Cole Rohrbough, Jeff Locke, and Steve Evarts --, who also have a lot of promise? I can't imagine being Frank Wren, and apparently, he's getting a little impatient. Can't say I blame him. He's probably been jerked around a few times, not least by Barry Axelrod and Peavy himself.

All of it feeds my addiction. I have to know. If there's nothing new, I automatically assume something is going on, but I don't what. And it kills me. On one hand, I'm glad the situation has been open (I hate surprises), but on the other hand, it being open hasn't been so great (the winner of the Peavy Derby is still going to be a surprise).

And then, you have to wonder about Peavy not wanting to come to Atlanta if Escobar leaves. No one knows if that's true or not, but it's just another step in this process. It's kind of like the Jason Bay trade last season. The Braves made a deal with the Pirates only for it to be shut down by the stupid owner (I say stupid out of frustration). The Braves could make a deal only to be undone by that deal. Granted, they could just convince Peavy that they'll have or have an alternate solution for shortstop, and everything can be alright.

Then, I hear the Twins might want to talk to the Braves about Escobar, but would the Braves stop their frustrated talks with the Padres and get a straight-up Escobar for Young or Slowey deal? Then, you have to wonder if it would just be better to have Slowey than Peavy. Would it be better to just give up Escobar for Slowey and not give up the other guys? Ugh. I just want it to end.

Saturday Sagas

How do you keep your balance?

Sorry about not posting on here lately, but school, again, has taken my soul and my time. Thursday was terrible as I found out I have two things due on Tuesday that I thought were due the following Tuesday, so I have spent free time the past two days working on those instead of writing on here. But then again, I've also gone to a movie and played a few hours of Guitar Hero: World Tour with friends over the past two days. I guess, in other words, I took a break, but it really felt more like a forced break instead of a voluntary one. Anyway, back to some links.

- I've got to admit this was a good headline: Mariano Says Sí Sí to CC. It's corny, but it got me.

- I'm not really sure where this came from, but I thought it was kind of funny and impertinent to the story.

“And if I had been mayor, I would have banned private vehicles in downtown Boston,” Lee said. “We would have all been walking, we’d all be cross-country skiing and we’d all be in better shape. And if we were all in better shape, there’d be no parking and (Boston parking czar Frank) McCourt would never have been able to buy the Dodgers and Manny would never have gone to LA.”

- This sounds like dejavu: Teams Interested in Crisp.

- Well, this could be interesting. Danny Baez starting. Doesn't he realize he got hurt relieving (that sounds kind of weird if you think about it)?

- The White Sox want to add speed to their lineup. The question is if the team has speed but no one gets on to use it, does it make a noise?

- Dayton Moore says Jacobs will be the Royals' only major acquisition. Maybe someone should give him the definitions to "major" and "acquisition".

- Bob Feller is still "kicking it" at age 90. Say what you want to about his mouth, but arm was awesome.

- Tigers won't sign any long-term shortstops. Can't or won't?

- Is Casey Blake the answer for Minnesota? I see a let-down coming. On another note, the Twins are inquiring about Yunel Escobar. My question is who do the Braves get back. Kevin Slowey? Delmon Young?

- The Angels stopped talks with Vladimir Guerrero. I think I would, too, but it also tells you just how big of an offer the Angels are about to make to Teixeira.

- Isn't it weird how journalists are bashing some of the Gold Glove awards. I mean, someone had to vote for them, didn't they?

- Dave O'Brien keeps looking at the Braves-Peavy situation. I agree, "Please, let it [the trade talks] end."

- The market for closers will make things easier for the Mets because the other top financial teams have closers. The thing is that those closers are still better than K-Rod.

- The Phillies are looking at Matt Holliday. Who is going to be left in their farm system?

- The Cards are looking at Matt Holliday as well. Shouldn't they spend their prospects on things they actually need?

- Mark Cuban is still interested in the Cubs. Masochist.

- You got to give them credit for pride: Pirates' McLouth Awarded for Defensive Excellence.

- The Giants aren't trading Cain, period. Olney says they should add CC instead. That would be a great rotation.

Wednesday Whispers

I guess we'll see.

Well, Obama won in dominate fashion last night. I voted for him, but god only knows if he really is what this country needs. I guess we'll find out over the next four to eight years.

- Dmitri Young was outrighted to AAA. He had to accept in order to keep the final year of his contract. I guess it still works out for Young considering he will make $5M, but he might want to go somewhere he could actually play. Then again, where would that be?

- Add Nick Swisher to Ken Williams' trade list. He's a nice bounce-back candidate after a .251 BABIP season.

- Some rumors around the Royals are here, but all of them involve low OBP guys coming to Kansas City. Come on Dayton. Ron, close your eyes and plug your ears.

- The Indians haven't ruled out anyone in their search for a closer. I still think they'd be better off bringing in a Juan Cruz or other reliever while using Jensen Lewis in the closer role, but it might be the surprise of the off-season to see them land Francisco Rodriguez.

- Scott Boras has a new position: Detroit GM. Talk about conflict of interests.

- A day late and $22M short, AJ Burnett opts out of his contract. Now, that's the shock of the off-season ... that he waited so long.

- Towers has cut his list to three, but who's first? Dodgers, Cubs, or Braves?

- The Angels are about to make their bid for Teixeira and will ask for a prompt response. Good luck.

- Raúl Ibañez says it's too early to tell where he'll land. Atlanta, Atlanta, Atlanta.

- The Rangers pitchers are going through conditioning camp. Maybe they should have a conditioning camp for fans so they can make it through long innings and pitching changes.

- The Rays and Mets are in talks about Sonnanstine and Jackson. Would a Ryan Church-for-Edwin Jackson trade work? Is Ryan Church healthy enough?

- The Marlins might bring back Pavano. So, let me ask this: if he pitches well for one year, will the Yankees offer him another four-year deal?

- Carpenter had more surgery. It's never a good thing that the fact that your ace had surgery surprises the team.

- Doug Melvin says the CC offer is legitimate, but I guess we'll see.

- Nick Piecoro says the Mets aren't interested in Orlando Hudson. I doubt it because the reason they aren't "interested" is that they can't unload Luis Castillo.

- David Wayne thinks the Cardinals should sign Renteria. He has had his best seasons in the NL, but you have to wonder if he's getting too old to play such an important position.

Boras Says Varitek Should Get Posada Money

But the Red Sox win 60% of the games he catches. Maybe it would be closer to 70 if he could hit.

Oh my goodness ...

NO NO NO NO. WHY!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Stop the madness.

Okay, I'll be fair. He did hit .255/.367/.421 last season, but that dropped to .220/.313/.359 this past season. However, even his 2007 season is still much lower than Posada's .338/.426/.543. Boras is good, but he's not that good.

Junichi Tazawa

He's all the buzz right now, if you discount Manny, Teixeira, CC, and the election (but who cares about that?).

I've been hearing a lot about this young man, but I don't know much about him. I'm not sure if anyone else does either, so let me do the work for you.

He is 22 year old right-hander who asked not to be drafted by the Nippon Professional Baseball league. One scout said he throws a fastball in the 88 to 93 mph range, but I've heard it actually hits 97 to 98 (maybe just on the stadium radar gun). Otherwise, he throws a good splitter or forkball along with a good 12-6 curveball. I've heard comparisons to Tim Hudson. However, I've also heard some comparisons to Daisuke Matsuzaka and his control. Next, is he a starter or reliever? With three pitches, I imagine he'll be starter, or at the very least a closer-type.

As for how soon he'll be in the majors, that remains to be seen. The Braves reportedly offered him a major-league contract, but the fact that that is news tells me he won't be an instant contributor, which is fine considering he's only 22. I imagine whoever gets him will put him in AA and move him quickly if he performs well. I guess he could be in the rotation by 2010, maybe mid-2009.

Now, what happens if the Braves sign him (you knew I was gonna ask)? Does this make Tommy Hanson more touchable? Or do they keep both in hopes of a stronger, young rotation because the system isn't flush with impact arms right now? Does this make getting Peavy less of a need? Or do they want both? It'll be interesting. As of now, it seems as though the Red Sox are the front-runners (it appears the Yankees aren't interested -- the "gentleman's agreement"), but that was before the Braves reportedly offered a major-league contract. Seattle, Pittsburgh, Detroit, the Cubs, and Philadelphia are the other reports.

Links -- NPB and Bleacher-Report

Ludwick for Johnson?

Let's see how this goes. Maybe something will come out of these meetings ... Nah.

Digging deep in the catacombs of the comments section of a Dave O'Brien article, Tim Dierkes found a nice rumor surrounding Ryan Ludwick and Kelly Johnson. Again, he said it was just a "whisper", but the deal seems to make sense on the surface. The Cardinals have always struggled to find a second baseman, and the Braves need a power-hitting outfielder. Both are under control for three more years, so it's a wash that way. So should the teams do it?

Kelly Johnson (age 27)
He hit .287/.349/.446 this past season with 12 HR, 69 RBI, and 86 R. His BB% dipped from 13.2 to 8.7, which is quite the drop. His BABIP was .344, which is really high. However, his LD% (Line Drive percentage -- how do you decide if it was a line drive?) rose from 18.8 to 24.7, which is pretty impressive. He hit fewer home runs (16 to 12), but he hit a lot more doubles (26 to 39). Overall, he's a very good offensive second baseman, but he's not so good defensively. He struggles to even make the routine plays, but he's pretty extraordinary turning the double play with his quick release. I'm guessing he just needs more experience to be about average defensively.

Ryan Ludwick (age 30)
Ludwick just a huge breakout season by hitting .299/.375/.591 with 37 HR and 104 RBI. His BABIP was actually higher than Johnson's at .349, so his BA should dip next season. His BB% was 10.3, which was better than 8.7, but his K% was 27.1 (ouch). Anyway, he did 40 2B, which was just higher than Johnson's. As for the LD%, it was 26.3%, so he hit the ball better than Johnson. Defensively, I'm not really sure, but when I saw him play twice, he wasn't special in any way. He took a while to get to the majors and stick because of injuries, but he was a top prospect. Therefore, it's probable that he's finally healthy and hitting during his prime years.

Really, this is one of those trades that is an equal need-for-need trade. The Braves have other players to play second (Martin Prado, Omar Infante, and Brent Lillibridge), and the Cardinals have other outfielders (Colby Rasmus, Skip Schumaker, and Brian Barton). Ludwick seems to be the better offensive player, however, so the Cardinals might ask for a low-level minor-leaguer in addition. As a Braves fan, I don't necessary like trading away Johnson, but I like the addition of Ludwick more. However, the Braves can't afford to give away Escobar if this happens as I really don't think they have that many middle infielders, unless they decided to make a run at Furcal with their additional money (I wouldn't mind). Actually, let's do that. Trade Escobar to get Peavy and Johnson to get Ludwick, and then, sign Furcal because there will be additional money. Still, it's just a rumor, but it is a very plausible one.

Tuesday Tales

The question isn't whether or not he'll come back. It's whether or not he'll cut his hair if he does.

Everyone needs to go out to vote today. If you don't vote, you don't get to b**** when the President screws up.

- Jeter is a bad shortstop. Just how bad is up for debate.

- The Red Sox are the front-runners for Junichi Tazawa. Damn, they don't need any more good pitching. STOP!! Save some for everybody else.

- Here are some whispers from the GM meetings. Nothing we didn't already know. See, I told you nothing happens here.

- Needs for all 30 major-league teams.

- Minaya takes a shot at bloggers. You know what, I think I'd be concerned with which is more risky (Manny or K-Rod) if I was a GM.

- Armando Galarraga wins the Detroit Rookie of the Year Award. Is this his consolation prize?

- Someone's happy about the new stadium in Minnesota. I bet it's not the taxpayers.

- Noah Lowry is eager to pitch next season. Good, the Giants are eager to see you pitch.

- The new Seattle GM has been a busy boy. Good, because that team needs a lot of work.

- Here are the Top 5 needs for the World Series Champs. Actually, it's more of the Top 4 as 2 and 3 are pretty much the same.

- The Marlins claimed Dan Meyer off waivers. For those who don't know who Meyer is, he is one of the big pieces on the Tim Hudson trade and one of the reasons I don't think the Braves should be so stingy with Hanson.

- Is it really "opening up the bidding for Sabathia" if no one else can bid for two weeks?

- Brian Fuentes won't be a Rocky next season. Does anyone else think he might get a better deal than K-Rod?

- Ken Davidoff says the Yankees have $85M to play with this off-season, so why can't they have Sabathia and Teixeira?

- It looks like Greg Maddux will retire. Depression.

Peavy ... Again

Let's see how things shape up this week, but I doubt anything happens except for ground work.

It's time for the GM meetings, and Peavy is obviously a hot topic around the game. Why not? He's 27 years old and a former Cy Young Award winner. Name one team who wouldn't want him (discounting the asking price). However, he's been "on the market" for around a month now, so we've had a little time to digest the situation and see where things are headed.

The one thing people do seem sure about is that he will be traded. I'm not so sure. He's kind of at a low point (for him) of trade value. His numbers weren't as good as previous years, and he had an elbow injury. Trading him now is selling low. Towers could very easily keep him if he doesn't get the right trade. It's not like he'll be a rental in July, and his contract will still be below market value. There's really no reason for Towers to trade him now unless he gets what he wants. If Peavy can come back strong and have an ERA around 3 by the All-Star Game, teams will line up for him if the Padres are out of it. Then, he can get more, especially because the shorter time on the contract lessens the injury risk while still being long enough to where he is not a rental. Peavy's peak time may very well be at next year's All-Star break instead of right now. Teams will be more desperate as there won't be any free-agents and injuries will have taken their toll. Other than having a slightly unhappy player, there's almost no reason to trade him right now. Don't get me wrong. I want Peavy, really bad, but from Tower's point of view, I don't have to trade him right now. Getting Hanson from Atlanta might be more difficult considering he'll probably be in Atlanta by then, but Scott Diamond and others might break through like Hanson did this past season. Wren might be more willing to talk then. But let's consider that he does trade Peavy. With what we know, where will he end up?

Braves
They are still the front-runners, but that's a useless argument if they can't come to terms. Hanson seems to be off-limits, which is fine with me, but it seems as though Johnson and Escobar can be had. Escobar makes more sense for the Padres if they are really looking to rebuild. If Escobar is the center of the deal, then the Padres won't be able to ask for too much more considering Escobar has been so successful so far. I imagine the Braves are almost out of it at this point, however. They are desperate for starting pitching and have the prospects to work a deal. The fact that they haven't yet makes me wonder if they will. The Braves may wait until after free-agent signings to see who they can get. They don't have to make the deal now, either.

Cubs
They've been a popular mention, especially now that Dempster will test the market. While some say they don't match up, I think they do. It seems as though the Cubs do not want him all that much, and the Padres need a center fielder. What about adding Mike Fontenot? He hit .304/.395/.514 in 243 at-bats this past season. He'll be under control for four more years, and the Cubs don't seem to need him with DeRosa still there. After that, the Cubs could add an arm or two to the deal. Towers mentioned that he doesn't have to get pitching back. He'd prefer it, but it's not necessary. If the Braves won't give up Hanson, then the Padres might like what the Cubs could offer.

Dodgers
They certainly have the young pitching to get the deal done, but I'm not sure the Dodgers really want to pay such a steep price. Chad Billingsley and Clayton Kershaw have been mentioned, but I'm sure Billingsley can't be available. Kershaw is a maybe, but I'm not sure they would really want to trade him away. The more plausible targets could be James McDonald, Scott Elbert, and Jonathan Meloan. Two of them could probably get the job done, which makes the Dodgers very plausible in this discussion.

Cardinals
They've essentially said they aren't interested considering it would take at least Colby Rasmus to get Peavy, and the Cardinals really don't have much else to give up.

Astros
They just don't have the prospects to get it done.

Rangers
I'm sure they'd love Peavy, but Peavy doesn't love them or their ballpark.

Yankees
They have what the Padres want in Hughes, and I'm sure one of Cabrera and Cano would get the job done. However, nothing has happened which tells me that either the Padres really don't like any or some of those players or the Yankees aren't willing to part with them or Peavy said no the Bronx. The Yankees might be taking the wait-and-see approach the Braves are probably taking. If CC, Lowe, and Burnett end up elsewhere, Peavy looks more attractive, much more attractive. But it remains to be seen if Peavy wants to go there. I'm sure guaranteeing the option or just adding money on to existing salaries would do the trick.

Red Sox
They definitely have the prospects, but the playoff run delayed their ability to show interest and get into any meaningful talks. These meetings might see an improved relationship between Towers and Epstein. There's a definite match, but Epstein still has to decide whether or not he wants to give up Buchholz, who os doing well in Arizona. Then again, he never has had trouble against minor leaguers. In any matter, the Red Sox have more pitching, but are they willing to give it up?

When looking at this, I see the Cubs as the front-runners with the Braves, Red Sox, Yankees, and Dodgers in a tie for a close second. The thing is, I still think Towers should hold onto him to see what desperation will do to teams at the next All-Star Break.

Monday Musings

Updated (1:26 PM)

He doesn't look like Barack.

I'm going to change the names of these link posts to make them more ... creative. "Rounding the Bases" is nice, but it's already gotten old for me. I might change them around from time to time because I generally get bored with doing the same thing over and over. Anyway, here are a few links, and I'll bring some more later.

- Jonathan Papelbon and Kevin Youkilis may make out like bandits in arbitration. You think?

- Jeff Zrebiec goes through the plans for the Orioles during the winter meetings. Do you really think they can get Teixiera, Burnett, and trade Daniel Cabrera for anything useful?

- Ruben Amaro Jr. will be the new Philly GM. Now, I can finally go to sleep content.

- This is what LA sports figures are doing about the election. Gilbert Arenas now = Latrell Sprewell.

- Maddux is heading to the Rangers. Too bad it's Mike.

- Amaro Jr. = Obama. Interesting.

- Dave O'Brien likens the GM meetings to a "Peavy Auction". The problem is that all the buyers never put their arms fully up, so nothing really gets done.

- The Cards are looking strongly at Joe Beimel. Good idea.

- The Cubs won't spend a lot this offseason. However, doesn't re-signing Dempster, Wood, and a shortstop seem like spending a lot of money?

- Mike Cameron is coming back to the Brewers next season. The Yankees give a collective groan.

- Boras and Coletti will meet to discuss Manny this week. Is it me or is it weird that the Dodgers made teams eat the salaries of Manny and Blake but they can now afford to keep Manny at a much higher salary?

- The Rockies are dangling Holliday, Atkins, and Taveras. That's nothing new, but I stilll don't see why anyone wants Taveras.

- Towers wants quality, not quantity, for Peavy. It amazes me how people seem to be looking at this as though he has to trade Peavy. He doesn't, and he may very well keep him. He might be able to net something better next season at the deadline.

Ryan Dempster to Test Market

I saw this on Friday night, but they were drunk college students.

The Cubs hoped to get Ryan Dempster re-signed before he reached free-agency, but according to Ken Rosenthal, Dempster has chosen to see what else is out there. I'm guessing that the Cubs excessive spending is starting to catch up to them, and they probably talked about giving him something that he feels he can top. I still expect the Cubs to be in on Dempster, but they may not win considering the number of teams always looking for top-tier starting pitching. So, should your favorite team try to sign him?

He is going to be 32 next season, so a five year deal is a really big risk. He also just undertook a jump of 140 innings over last season. However, it is impossible to deny the effect he had on the Cubs this season. He went 17-6 with a 2.96 ERA in 206.2 IP and should get a few Cy Young votes. As for his peripherals, his K/9 was 8.14 (actually higher than when he was a closer), but he does walk people as his BB/9 of 3.31 shows (but it was better than when he was a closer). His BABIP was .286, so he didn't benefit from that. His LOB% was 76.7, which is actually a tad high. And, he's also a groundball pitcher with a GB/FB of 1.51 with his excellent two-seamer. However, his FIP was 3.41, so he seems to been a little lucky somehow (how? I am not sure, but his HR/FB of 7.7% was a little low).

His stats indicate that his season was pretty legitimate, but we all knew he was talented. The question is whether or not he is worth a five-year/$80M or more contract. The answer is difficult. He has the talent to be a legit no.2 guy, but no one is sure if he can repeat his performance. My guess is that his ERA will be closer to his 3.41 FIP from this year, but he shouldn't regress to 2003 (6.54 ERA). I wouldn't depend on him to be the ace for your staff for next season, but I think he's a better bet than AJ Burnett or Ben Sheets.

Enough is Enough is Enough

We want this, but we can't have it.

I have a lot of respect for Buster Olney. I read his post every morning. I read any article he writes. He's not all-knowing, but he's one of the smartest baseball people on ESPN. He says things like Sabathia wants to stay in California and will turn down $2 billion to do so, but for the most part, he's a sane baseball analyst who has his head on straight. I really do like him, which makes seeing his post this morning so disappointing. Olney has jumped on the neutral-site bandwagon. Jason at IIATMS already wrote about Whitey Herzog calling for a neutral site, and I agree with Jason that it's a dumb idea.

But Olney makes some fair points. You can make it easier for season-ticket holders to buy tickets to the game at the neutral site. However, that takes away from the atmosphere of the game. There would be no more cowbells or Rally Monkeys. Granted, those things can get irritating, but they show spirit and the crowd getting really into the game. That won't happen at a neutral site. You can't have Rays fans drowning out the players' own thoughts. They won't be as loud because there won't be as many of them. It'll be half one team's fans and half the other. It's just not as fun.

You could turn the World Series into an event. I kind of like the idea of having all the GM's around, the awards announced, and Hall of Fame events, but why can't we do that now? GM's would have to travel, but it's not like that would be a big deal. The awards can still be announced during that time. Events can still be held. Turn the World Series into an event if you want, but you don't need a neutral site to do so.

Phoenix does have better weather than Philadelphia, but I hope it rains the first time the Series is moved. Weather happens. If you want these games to be played in "baseball weather", then you play in whatever mother nature throws your way. We have snow in April and rain the rest of the year. Teams just deal with it. I'm sorry things get thrown off schedule, but the best-laid plans ... This is just another reason for TV to not have so much control over the Series and when it's played.

The next problem is who gets the Series. Do we move it every year? Do we play it in a baseball city? If it stays in one place, is a new stadium going to be built? Who pays for it? Is anything else allowed to be held there? How do we determine who gets it (it's about the money, stupid)? In other words, there's no reason to change it when it works perfectly fine right now.

As for the World Series losing its luster, you're looking at the wrong question. The question isn't why is no one watching. It's why is no one watching baseball. Baseball just isn't as popular anymore, and a week of "special events" isn't going to change that. When it comes down to it, people will turn on the TV and ask themselves, "Do I want to watch the game or House/Monday Night Football/Heroes/Grey's Anatomy?" and they'll choose the latter.

As for moving the time up to play it in the afternoon, the ratings won't go up. Baseball used to be America's Pastime. People loved baseball. They were obsessed with it. They couldn't stop talking about it. The day stopped when the World Series came around. It used to be what the Super Bowl is now. Playing it at 4 o'clock in the afternoon won't bring that back. It'll make the situation worse. Adults won't be able to make it home to watch. Heck, kids won't be able to watch. They'll be trying to get home from school, basketball practice, or football practice. No business is going to let their employees go home to watch the World Series. They will for the Super Bowl, but not for the World Series. They used to, but things have changed.

What has happened is a common historical problem. We look into the past and become nostalgic. We see what we want to see and want to bring it into the present because we assume it will work out now. Sorry, things change. Baseball isn't the most popular sport anymore. I love it. I know lots of people love it. There's just fewer of us now. Making the World Series into a festival won't change that. Sorry.

I like baseball in the afternoon. Sun shining, the smell of freshly-cut grass, and mitts popping. The thing is that we don't live in a world where that's possible for the World Series. It used to. But now, we focus on ratings, prime-time television, and playing under artificial lights.

What to Do with $80 Million

I will never get tired of these pictures.

Here's the situation. You're Brian Cashman, the GM of the New York Yankees. Jason Giambi ($16M -- I'm counting the buy-outs), Andy Pettite ($16M), Mike Mussina ($11M), Carl Pavano ($11M -- Yankee Nation exhales sigh of relief), and Damaso Marte ($2M) are all leaving. That gives you $60M of salary to work with this off-season. A few raises will put the number closer to $50M, but the number rises when you think about the new source of revenue that is The New Yankee Stadium. $80M has been the number thrown around that the Yankees could spend this off-season, but I'm guessing you'll keep it closer to $60-70M. So what do you do?

1) Pitching, Pitching, CC Sabathia
You spend the first $25M on Sabathia. No one really likes giving long-term, money-laden contracts to anyone, but he'll be 28/29 next season and could win two Cy Youngs in a row. He's a big-time pitcher who puts a team on his back, and he's shown he can handle the yoke.

2) Get Tex
There have been rumors about putting Posada, Damon, and/or Matsui over at first base next season, but aren't you tired of first baseman who can hit but not field their position? Mark Teixeira gives you a middle-of-the-order bat and a Gold Glove. For those who say he doesn't make a difference, remember that he's just about to enter his prime (29 next season), and I'm betting he will make a difference. Also, how is hitting .300/.400/.550 with great defense not making a difference? That'll be another $20M.

3) Trade for Jake Peavy
Take Phil Hughes/Ian Kennedy, Melky Cabrera, and two minor leaguers (who don't necessarily have to be great) and get Peavy. A 1-2-3 punch of Sabathia, Peavy, and Wang would be incredible. As for Hughes, these pitchers are under control for the next few years, which negates the need for him. As for the no-trade clause, I'm sure a little money would grease the wheels. This then frees up ...

4) Chamberlain to Move Back to the Bullpen
I love the guy, but he hasn't really had an injury-free season as a starting pitcher in a long time. Put him in the bullpen and be more creative. Let him come in the seventh and pitch the eighth as well. Get 100+ innings from him out of the bullpen in high-leverage situations bridging the gap from Peavy to Rivera. Luckily for you, this doesn't cost any money, and Peavy only costs $8M.

5) One More Starting Pitcher
Now that the front part of the rotation is settled, it's time to look at the back part of it. I'm thinking you have about $17M left to spend. The remaining Hughes/Kennedy can fill in spot five, so you need a fourth guy. What about Jon Garland? He shouldn't cost too much (probably around $10-12M), and he's durable (around 200 IP the last seven seasons), a ground ball pitcher (1.79 GB/FB last season and 1.29 overall), and doesn't walk too many people (2.70 BB/9 that has been a little better in recent seasons). This may be moot if Mussina comes back as you'd rather have him, but Garland's a fall-back option that should still be looking for work late into the winter (which should bring his price down closer to or below $10M -- like Kyle Lohse?). If you're really dead-set against putting Chamberlain in the bullpen, then he'll be a great 4 or 5 guy, but I'm just not sure his arm would hold up.

All of this gives you a rotation of:

CC Sabathia
Jake Peavy
Chien-Ming Wang
Jon Garland/Mike Mussina
Ian Kennedy/Phil Hughes/Joba Chamberlain
(all under 30 except for Mussina)

and a lineup of:

Brett Gardner CF
Derek Jeter SS
Mark Teixeira 1B
Alex Rodriguez 3B
Xavier Nady RF
Hideki Matsui LF
Jorge Posada C
Robinson Cano 2B
Johnny Damon DH
(fortunately, Matsui and Damon are gone after next year, giving you a bit more flexibility)

As the winter moves along, you may find yourself with some opportunities. Mike Cameron might be available for center field. Some starting pitchers might be less expensive than what you thought (Garland, Oliver Perez, Brad Penny (31), Randy Wolf (32)). You might find some bullpen bargains (Eddie Guardado, Arthur Rhodes, Darren Oliver, Luis Ayala). If you realize that you need more money, just walk into Mr. Steinbrenner's office, side-step Hank crying and slamming his fists on his blankie while rolling on the floor (be careful, he bites and kicks), and ask Hal for a little more money. I'm sure he could find a few million in the seat cushions.

Rounding the Bases

This is Ned Coletti staring into your soul.

I hope everyone remembered to turn their clocks back this morning. I was ecstatic to see the clock this morning say 10:00 so that I could go back to sleep knowing it was really 9. Good times.

- The Yankees won't pick up Damaso Marte's $6M option. Good idea, but it begs the question: why did the Pirates want to pay him $6M?

- Buchholz seems to have some of his swagger back. Because the Red Sox really need everything to work out in their favor.

- Griffey could return to the Mariners. I'm not sure whether or not it's a good thing, but for anyone thinking he'll retire, someone will give him a job. He did hit 30 HR in '07, and that's all GM's need to know.

- The Tigers are going to the independent leagues to find bullpen help. Well, at least we know they're trying, or at least trying to make it look that way.

- Mark Ellis' teammates support the A's decision to re-sign him. Can you imagine if they said the opposite?

- The Rangers are looking to deal a catcher for some pitching. Why is this news?

- The Phillies have issues to deal with this offseason. One question, though. If the Phillies have additional money from the World Series, why can't they afford to keep Burrell? If they can't afford to keep Burrell, how will they be able to afford Manny or any of the other free-agents?

- Nationals fans aren't happy. The owners suck. The team sucks. I'm glad we have Thomas Boswell to remind us.

- Dale Sveum is back in a Brewer's uniform, this time as the hitting coach. Doesn't this seem to be a dumb move by Macha and the Brewers? Why put the man who led you to the playoffs on the bench so that as soon as things go wrong, fans will want him to take over?

- While everyone else looks at the Reds with optimism, John Erardi tears them apart ... and he's writing for them.

- A throw-in could eventually be a star for the Padres. Always read the fine print folks.

Rounding the Bases

Granted, I'm sure someone can just color it in, but why get a tattoo you can't see? Why didn't he even check it out before he left?

Not too much going on this morning, but it is Saturday morning. Still, most people are trying to get ready for the GM meetings in which nothing of substance will probably happen.

- Hank says the Yankees will go after Manny. I guess this means they won't.

- Peter Schmuck says the Orioles shouldn't go after Teixeira. I agree, but imagine a young lineup in a couple years of Nick Markakis, Mark Teixeira (in his prime), Adam Jones, Matt Wieters, and Nolan Reimold.

- Jamie Samuelson believes the Tigers should stick with Ramon Santiago at short until Cale Iorg is ready. Ramon Santiago finally had on OPS+ over 100 with 129, but that was only in 124 at-bats. Iorg hasn't even played above A-ball so they'll likely have to deal with Santiago there for at least a year and a half. But they really can't afford any free-agents, so I guess they're damned if they do, damned if they don't.

- The A's declined the option on Embree. Good boys. Now sign him for $1M for his veteran "leadership".

- Hank Aaron's childhood household is being restored. Can they also restore the Braves to the mid-to-late 90's edition?

- Jimmy Rollins is already smack-talking. Generally I would shame on this, but he's been right an awful lot lately. Still, the Mets are more than one person.

- Utley dropped the F-bomb during his speech yesterday. Go PH***in' Phillies!

- A Cubs tattoo with "Go Cards" in it. Nicely done sir.

- The Pirates have gone to South Africa to find a shortstop prospect. Huntington did say he would try "everything".

- David Bell will be the new manager for the AA Reds team. Well, he played for awhile in the majors. I'm not really sure why, but he did. I think "storied baseball name" is a bit over-the-top.

- The D-Backs are just looking to plug holes. I still think they are the favorites to win the West next year. All they have to do is win like 85 games, right?

- Nick Canepa doesn't think the Padres should trade Jake Peavy. He rattles off some names like Roberto Alomar and Ozzie Smith, but for every one of those, you have Adam Eaton and Akinori Otsuka. Granted, they shouldn't trade him unless they get a decent haul, but don't not trade him for the sake of not trading him. You lost 99 games last season. You need more than Peavy.

- Varitek to the Tigers? Run Tigers Run!